Means for preventing soil erosion



Feb. 23, 1937. M. s. WILLING MEANS FOR PREVENTING SOIL EROSION Original Filed July 10, 1935 Mark 5. WW 1571 9, w M

, trated in the present instance.

Patented Feb; 23, 193? Application July 10, 1935',

Renewed November 6,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in means for the prevention of soil erosion by flowing water.

One object of the invention is to provide a device of simple and inexpensive construction'but which will be highly eflicient in preventing soil erosion by flowing water.

A further object is to provide a device of this nature which lends itself readily to being assembled in any desired numbers, the several individual devices being interlocked, one with the other, to form an entangled mass of desired size to stem the flow of water over any given area, thus preventing or curtailing the scouring or eroding action of the water.

A still further object is to provide a frameless container of flexible material which will readily adapt itself to the contour of the surface on which it is placed.

More specifically, the invention contemplates means for preventing soil erosion by flowing water, said means consisting wire mesh material, preferably filled with means for augmenting the accumulation of earthy matter therein and a plurality of hooks secured tosaid container and more or less promiscuously positioned around the same, whereby two or more of said containers placed in contact with one another will become entangled and form a substantially unitary mass.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will hereinafter be more fully described, and the novel features thereof particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing- Figure 1 illustrates a mass of the present containers located in a depression in the earths surface, under which circumstances further erosion by water flowing along the depression will be prevented;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one of the individual containers;

Fig. 3 is a, transverse sectional 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the container.

In order that there can be some seepage or flow of water through an obstruction formed by a multiplicity of the containers of the present invention, said containers are made of a mesh-like material, a wire mesh material it being illus- Enclosed within each container is a material which will facilitate or augment the accumulation of silt, mud, earthy matter or the like, and gradually fill all the interview on the line of a flexible container of.

Serial No. 30,713

stices so as to form a substantially closed obstruction to the flow of water in the channel in which the mass of containers is assembled. One material that can be used, as illustrated in the present instance, is brush or heavy weeds H, or the like, preferably secured more or less in bundle form by bands l2.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, a large number of the containers ID are massed in a depression or channel in the earths surface l3. In other words, this depression may be assumed to have been formed by an excessive flow of water over this area, and by damming up the depression with the containers, further erosion or scouring of the earths surface at this point will be prevented.

If desired, additional weight may be given the individual containers by some suitable means such as enclosing rather large stones or rocks (not shown) within the brush material, but such anchoring means are not essential as the present container is provided with a number of hooks it distributed promiscuously around the container. Each hook is formed with an eye at one end, loosely encircling one or more of the wire strands constituting the mesh material, so that the hooks may be said to be pivotally secured to the container. In depositing or throwing the containers' in, or on, the area to be protected, a' number of them may be secured together by hooking one into the other, prior to placing them on the earth, or they can be thrown in individually and, due to the irregular disposition of the hooks and the swiveling action of which they are capable, the bundles, as they are successively placed in contact with one another, will immediately become entangled. and thus build up a mass such as illustrated in Fig. 1. Furthermore, the hooks, in addition to facilitating entangling the containers one with the other, also serve as anchoring means, because they will readily attach themselves to irregularities on the surface on which the containers are placed. I

It will also be observed that no frame is used in the present container. Therefore, due to the flexibility of the mesh material of which the container is formed, the containers will readily adapt themselves to major irregularities in the surface of the earth on which they are placed. The construction of the individual containers is such that they may be produced at very little expense and, by the provision of the several hooks on each container, they may be readily and easily secured together to build up a mass of the desired size and bulk to protect any given area of earths surface subjected to the eroding action of flowing Water. As has been previously stated, the loosely secured hooks permit the containers to be secured together manually, preliminary to being deposited on the surface to be protected, or they will quickly become entangled, one with the other, if deposited successively and individually. In other words, no special efiort is necessary to secure the individual containers together in building up a mass of desired size. Also, the flexibility of the container, which permits the containers to adapt themselves to major irregularities in the contour of the surface to be protected, insures the absence of any openings of appreciable size through which the water may continue to flow and subject the surface to further eroding action.

The nature of the filler or material in the container is such as to augment the distortion of the filled container to correspond to the irregularities in the contour of the earth. It is also such as to present comparatively small interstices so as to permit a slight seepage while still eilectively damming the flow of water so far as further erosion is concerned. However, this close conformation of the mass to the earth's surface is important as it' prevents erosion around the container, the amount of seepage not being sufficient to undermine, so to speak, the containers once they are lodged at the point to be protected. Also, in the connection, the weight of the filler does not cause undue pressure to be placed on the lower containers when they are massed one upon another, a fact which also tends to eliminate erosion taking place around the containers. The filler material is preferably of a weight which permits the individual containers being handled manually so they are readily transported and handled by the workmen. It will understood,

however, that the individual containers must be of sufficient weight to submerge and not be carried away on the current of the water.

As illustrated in Fig. 4, the ends of the individual containers may be closed by simply securing the ends of the wire mesh material together.

What I claim is:

1. Means for preventing soil erosion by flowing water, said means consisting of a flexible container of mesh material, readily distortable filler material within said container for augmenting the accumulation of earthy matter therein and facilitating conformation of the mass to the contour of the earth to be protected, and a plurality of securing elements pivotally attached to said container whereby a plurality of said containers can be secured together.

2. Means for preventing soil erosion by flowing water, said means consisting of a container formed of flexible wire mesh material, filler material within said container having comparatively small interstices between individual pieces of filler material for augmenting the accumulation of earthy matter and the like therein, and a plurality of hooks attached to said container wherein said container may readily be attached to other containers or to irregularities in the surface on which it is placed.

,3. Means for preventing soil erosion by flowing water, said means consisting of a frameless container formed of flexible wire mesh material, a mass of filler material composed essentially of brush confined within said container, and a plurality of hooks each having an eye at one end loosely encircling a strand of wire of said mesh material.

MARK S. WILLING. 

